Pumping Surf Gets Action Underway for Day 1 of the 2025 Surf City El Salvador ISA World Surfing Games

European Olympians Yolanda Hopkins (POR) and Janire Gonzalez-Extabarri (ESP) top women’s numbers

Japan’s Keijiro Nishi (JPN) opens with excellence in World Surfing Games debut

Surf City El Salvador – September 6, 2025

The 2025 Surf City El Salvador ISA World Surfing Games (WSG) opened the first heats of competition with larger than expected surf pouring into the twin podiums of La Bocana and El Sunzal. The four-to-six-foot swell included eight-foot sets, providing ample opportunity for the world’s best surfers to begin their campaigns.

The first 24 heats of men’s and women’s Main Round 1 were completed, with men at the punchy peak of La Bocana and women surfing the long right point break of El Sunzal.

Thailand’s sole representative, Isabel Higgs (THA), faced a tough draw in Round 1, matched against three Olympians, Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS), Dominic Barona (ECU), and Siqi Yang (CHN). The two Tokyo 2020 Olympians, Fitzgibbons and Barona, used their experience to edge out the younger pair, Higgs and Yang, with Yang (16-years-old) notably the youngest of the Paris 2024 Olympians. A two-time Silver Medalist, Barona is appearing in her sixteenth WSG, while Fitzgibbons is the event’s most successful surfer, holding a record four WSG Gold Medals.

Yang was the sole Olympian to be knocked into repechage on the opening day of competition. Olympic Bronze Medalist Amuro Tsuzuki (JPN), Alonso Correa (PER), Yolanda Hopkins (POR), Sol Aguirre (PER), Manuel Selman (CHI), Janire Gonzalez-Extabarri (ESP), Leandro Usuna (ARG), Nadia Erostarbe (ESP), and Candelaria Resano (NCA) all earned heat wins to progress in Main Round 2, with Camilla Kemp (GER) and Anat Lelior (ISR) also advancing in second place in their respective heats.

Gonzalez-Extabarri posted an 8.00, the highest single wave score of the day for the women, while Hopkins claimed the highest heat total of 14.34. Winning the WSG Silver Medal in El Salvador in 2021 qualified Hopkins for her first of two Olympic Games appearances.

“I’ve been having a really great year and I would love to win one of these World Surfing Games,” Hopkins said. “I’ve been so close a couple of times, so I really hope so. When I started surfing, my dream was always to make it to the WSL and be World Champion in the WSL. But opening up this possibility of being an Olympian, it kind of hit me out of nowhere when I qualified here in El Salvador in 2021. It completely changed my life.

“I went from no support, and because the Olympics is such a huge thing, I think it brought loads of attraction to surfing. I got all my major sponsors and at the moment I’m so comfortable and I’ve been able to do what I love for the last few years because of the first Olympics. Just going to the Olympics stabilized my career and made it go to the next level. I think that was really, really important.”

Returning to ISA competition after appearing in the Bronze Medal Match at Paris 2024, Alonso Correa (PER) was one of many powerful goofyfooters to claim strong wins on their forehand at La Bocana. Joining the Peruvian in posting big numbers with their right foot forward were Yago Dominguez (ESP), Douglas Silva (BRA), and Keijrio Nishi (JPN). Making his WSG debut, 26-year-old Nishi earned the only men’s excellent score of the day, an 8.67, backing it up with a 7.17 for a 15.84 heat total, also the highest of the day.

“It was super fun waves,” Nishi said. “I was talking to our team coach Izuki [Tanaka] before and we were aiming mainly for the left. It was good that I was able to ride a good wave. I just tried to surf my way and I’m happy to win the heat.”

Silva took the sole heat win for the defending Team World Champion, Brazil. Sophia Medina (BRA), Lucas Silveira (BRA), and Laura Raupp (BRA) all progressed into Main Round 2 in second place in their respective heats, while Juliana Dos Santos (BRA) was sent to repechage in the first heat of the day. Their remaining team member, Michael Rodrigues (BRA), will surf in the first heat of the day tomorrow.

China’s Wu Shidong (CHN) claimed the first-ever men’s Main Round heat win for his nation. Shidong advanced ahead of former WSL Championship Tour surfer Frederico Morais (POR). Early victories from Bruce Burgos (ECU), Dylan Groen (GER), Arran Strong (GBR), Oliver Zietz (NED), Greyson Grant (SWE), Will Hardie (NZL), and Liam Wilson (ASA) also showcased a strong variety of nations rising to the fore.

Two-time WSG Gold Medalist Leandro Usuna (ARG) opened his sixteenth WSG appearance with a heat win. The 37-year-old Olympian remains energetic as ever as he continues to enjoy representing his country on the world stage.

“I just love surfing, man,” Usuna said. “I love surfing, and you know contests bring out the best of you in a small period of time. So it really puts everything on the line. You’ve really got to be on it and you got to be active and you got to show the groms what’s up, dude. We’ve been here for 15 years. I love to represent Argentina, whenever there’s a chance and there’s a phone call, I’m in.”

Competition will resume tomorrow, Sunday, September 7, at 7:00 a.m. CST with Men’s Main Round 1 at La Bocana and Women’s Main Round 1 at El Sunzal.